The Obscurus
by Rubiie
Summary: Fantastic Beasts and where to find them: America is the land of opportunites for those who are willing to take edence is a lonely, shy, young man desperately wanting to fit in and escape his life, when opportunity knocks in the form of Percival Graves, will he take it? Credence/Graves and everyone/everyone because of sexy reasons
1. Credence 1

Credence Barebone stood in the alleyway between his home and the butcher's shop, toying with one of the Second Salemers poster that covered the brick wall.

"I shouldn't be out here", he thought to himself ruefully, "What if mom catches me? What if Mr. Graves doesn't come, what if someone see _us?_ What would they say? _"._

Credence took a step towards the street. He would not meet Mr. Graves today, Modesty was already asking questions as to where he went during the day, returning home late at night, sometimes with red eyes that he blamed on the cold.

The truth was, Credence was terrified. He was always terrified, terrified of Mary Lou, terrified what he would do without her to look after him, terrified if she found out his terrible secret. _Secrets_. In fact, he struggled to remember a time he wasn't terrified. The only time he could suppose he _wasn't_ terrified was when he was with his mother and father, his _real_ mother and father, not Mary Lou Barebone, even though she insisted he call her mom. He didn't remember too much of his childhood before Mary Lou as he had been so young, but if he strained his memory very hard he could recollect a few memories. A smile here, the smell of a wonderful dinner there, and particularly, being warm and loved.

He remembered that his family hadn't been fabulously wealthy but they weren't destitute either, their apartment was small, but homely. The toilet was down the hall and was shared between all the tenements on the floor, but he thought he remembered it as being better than other apartments he had come across later in life, some that had several generations of family in one apartment or cockroaches and bedbugs everywhere. He remembered he had never been starved, or locked in a small dark room like Mary Lou sometimes had done to him when he came home too late.

He remembered how much he loved to spy on people walking on the street down below, pretending how he couldn't be seen, but he could see everything they did. He even liked to give them stories about their lives. There was Mrs. Brown with her five children, and Mr. Booth who use to walk his large horse and cart down the street filled with junk. He also liked to sometimes play with the other children in the apartment on the street, though his mother tried to make sure that wasn't too often. He remembered that there had been a lot of screaming and shouting at him from the neighbours, but he couldn't remember what for.

Credence couldn't remember what his father worked as, he only remembered that his father would go to work very early and come home most nights late, but he would always have time to play with his son and give his wife a kiss on the cheek before dinner. His mother didn't work, but instead stayed with Credence, playing with him and taking her with him to do chores. Sometimes she would do other people's laundry to earn some extra money, and she always managed to make the apartment smell like lavender. Credence didn't even remember how they died in great detail, and that made him sometimes feel even lonelier inside.

He did however, remember when he first met Mary Lou Barebone. She had approached his family one day on the street, supposedly several months before his parents had died, distributing pamphlets about the Second Salemers, a group of people who believed magic was terrible and all witches should be eradicated. She had been mid speech when her eyes found his parents. The look she gave them still scared him, a look like a frenzied dog. Dropping her flyers and pointing at his parents she yelled:

"Witches live amongst us! They are waiting to take away your young boy! Do you want your child to grow up in fear about the unknown?!" Her face reddened as she yelled. A young girl, several years older than Credence stood next to Mary Lou, gave him a sympathetic, sad look.

"If it were not for Bartholomew Barebone, my ancestor! Who so bravely fought the witch Dorcas Twelvetrees, we would all be dead! Bartholomew risked his life to inform us about the evil that lives among us! Had it not been for him we would not be here now, but I warn you! They live among us!" She screamed more, on and on about damnation and evil witches as if it were an eternity, but Credence couldn't remember it all, deciding to try to stay as close to his mother as possible. He remembered that at one point, Mary Lou had tried to grab him and pull him away from his parents, determined to haul him up to use as a spectacle to garner sympathy from the people who had gathered, but his father snatched him up into his arms and hurried away.

He hadn't said anything to his mother until they returned home and she had tucked him up in bed.

"Why did she point at you and dad?" He asked his mother as she drew his bedroom curtains. She turned around, giving him a small, sad smile and sat down on the bed.

"She was trying to scare us Credence", she said smoothing his dark hair, "She wanted us to join in whatever she was saying. But you need to stay away from people like that, do you understand? You mustn't talk to strangers." She drew the covers up under his chin and kissed him on the forehead. "Your father and I love you." She said.

"I love you too." Credence replied quietly. His mother smiled at him, stood up and turned out the lights.

After that, Credence had seen Mary Lou Barebone several times out after that. Once, distributing flyers, another time outside a church discussing something in hushed tones with another stern looking woman, and another time in playing in central park with his mother and father. Each time his parents had taken him away quickly but he couldn't remember why.

Mary Lou had adopted Credence shortly after his mother and father had died. After his parents, had died the police were called and Credence was left alone for a while before the landlord had tried to take him to the orphanage by the scruff of the neck, Credence kicking and screaming down the street, giving him a rough slap every now and again to get him to stop. The landlord had said something about new tenements and money and lots of other things Credence didn't understand before he managed to wriggle away and run off. He had heard about orphanages from the other children on the street and he knew he didn't want to end up in a place like that.

After running for what felt like ages he had managed to get back to his parent's apartment and sat down on the stairs outside and cried. What was he to do? He was only a little boy, he didn't know how the world worked, and New York city was a big place, and he didn't know many people. Maybe the neighbours would take pity on him? Loads of people walked past him, a few giving him a sympathetic look, three women gave him some money, but the most of them had completely ignored him, as if he didn't exist.

Before Mary Lou had found him, he had been very cold. To get away from the mean landlord he had had to wriggle out of his jacket, and it was turning into a bitterly cold winter night. He desperately wanted his jacket and his mother and his father, to go up to bed and be tucked in by his mother, but he knew none of that would ever happen again.

Mary Lou was walking past him with her daughter before backtracking to look at him. She crouched down, looking at him before taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiping his tear stained face.

"There, there", She said, putting her handkerchief back into her coat pocket, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Credence sniffed and looked up at her, "My…my parents…." He tried before bursting into tears, dropping his head onto his crossed arms.

"Are they…are they in heaven?" Mary Lou asked. Credence looked up at her again and nodded, trying to tell her everything that had happened. Mary Lou pulled off her scarf and draped it around his shoulders before taking him by the hand and pulling him to his feet.

The house, he thought, looked very sad and dark, on the outside. It was an old wooden church, painted red with a black roof and dark windows. Once they were in, Chastity set about turning the lights, throwing the room into a warm pleasant glow. It was a lot bigger than the apartment they had stayed in. In one corner, there was a long wooden table that had pamphlets stacked neatly on it. As he sat down at the table, he noticed there was a pigeon roosting above on of the windows that Mary Lou shooed away quickly. She turned to him and smiled kindly and before long she had set a warm bowl of soup before him with some bread.

He hadn't said anything whilst he was eating, he was too hungry, but Mary Lou talked enough for the both of them. "And while you live here, you'll help Chastity and I spread the word about the Second Salemers, we need to tell people about the evil that lives among us. We don't believe in frivolities and you must remember to do exactly what I say." She had said whilst Credence nodded dutifully. He would have agreed with anything she said at that time, just glad to have a roof over his head and to be eating something. He couldn't recall everything she had said either, everything falling over him like a wash. Mary Lou had shown him to his room, which was small and dark and the bed creaked, but it was comfy and warm.

"And," She said finally before closing his bedroom door, "I am your mother now. And I want you to call me that."

Credence never fully understood what he had done to deserve his first beating, but, he assumed it had been because of something to do with magic or witches and that he probably deserved it. Chastity was never beaten, but Credence was at only the smallest provocation. Credence was taken along with Chastity to stand in public when Mary Lou delivered speeches and hand out pamphlets and flyers to people on the street despite them not often taking them and when he hadn't handed out enough, he was beaten. If he arrived home too late, he was beaten. If he dropped any of the food that Mary Lou and the other second Salemers gave to the children on Pike street, he was beaten. Every night, Mary Lou gave a sermon about the evil of witches and magic and how they should all be proactive and aware. Chastity would always hang on to every word Mary Lou said, but it always filled Credence with an odd sense of dread. He learned quickly to never question Mary Lou's beliefs either, or to talk back.

He had always been a shy and quiet boy, but after living with Mary Lou for several years, he became even quieter and shier, often not looking people in the eye and trying to make himself as small as possible. After several years, Mary Lou had brought home a new daughter, Modesty, a very small, blonde girl who clutched to Mary Lou's skirts for the first few days. Credence took an instant liking to Modesty as she was one of the few good things about living with Mary Lou, she was defiant, but knew just how much she could get away with before getting into trouble, and had an internal fire that Credence wished he possessed. Chastity never liked Modesty, thinking she was too insolent.

And now here he was. Nearly 18 years old and terrified of everything. He wished he could be braver, wished he had more tenacity but every time he tried he felt as if he disappointed everyone, especially his mother. He thought about kicking the pail filled with Second Salemers posters but thought better of it, then Mary Lou would definitely come out and ask him what he was doing, and Mr. Graves wouldn't come to meet him.

He had tried to be braver yesterday, at Henry Shaw's Sr. newspaper headquarters, but Henry Shaw Jr. had called a freak and thrust the crumpled-up pamphlet at him. If only he would listen, like Langdon had, maybe then the Second Salemers would be taken seriously, and his mother would be happy, and life would be better…But no. Henry Shaw Sr and Jr. had instead decided to take them as a joke, called them trash, and it had hurt deeper than they had probably anticipated. All his life he had been called a freak. He had always felt ostracized even within his family and though the children on Pike Street turned to Chastity and Modesty for advice and support, they never went to him. In fact, they viewed him with suspicion and tried to ignore him.

Most people ignored him.

That was why he was so desperate to stand out here, in the alleyway, waiting for Percival Graves, a man his mother would never in a million years allow him to talk to. Because Percival Graves was not a normal man. He was a wizard. In fact, he was a wizard very high up in their version of government and very skilled in magic. Credence had met him whilst unsuccessfully handing out pamphlets one day on Broadway. It had started to rain rather heavily that day and the subway would be full of people at this time of day, coming home from work and going out to catch a show. Keeping his head down as he always did when he walked, he decided to head back home. Moving as quickly as he could through the crowd, he bumped into Percival, causing him to drop the pamphlets he was carrying everywhere. He apologised, still keeping his head down, but the man had stopped to help him pick up the pamphlets, something most people wouldn't ever bother to do. As Percival handed back the pamphlets to Credence, smiling broadly, his hand brushed Credence's, making the younger man blush. 30 minutes later, Percival had taken Credence into the nearest café despite Credence's insisting he needed to get back to his mother.

"You said you were handing out these," Percival noted, his hand waving over the pamphlets, "Your mother must know you'd be out till late handing them back, besides the subway is always busy this time of night. Besides, you're a fully-grown man." Percival added, casting a lazy eye over Credence which made Credence blush furiously.

"You look dead on your feet, Credence," Percival added, "A coffee will perk you right up." He pushed Credence's coffee further towards him.

Credence finally relented, it was just something about Percival that made Credence feel like he could trust him. Soon enough Credence was telling this strange man everything that he knew, how he came to be Mary Lou's son, what the Second Salemers was all about, their constant ridicule by the public and Mary Lou's beatings. Percival listened intently to Credence, only stopping to ask him questions.

When Credence's story ended, Percival took Credence's hand and turned it over, noticing the old white raised scars on it. He frowned at that, and told Credence that they would have to meet again as they had more to discuss about the Second Salemers, but made Credence swear to not tell Mary Lou about anything just yet…

They next met on a Sunday, outside of the Woolworth building at around midday Credence had told Mary Lou that he would go out to hand out pamphlets for her as Modesty was ill with a cold. Chastity had insisted on going out with him, but Credence had managed to shake her off by telling her Mary Lou would need her to help with the Sunday meeting. He hurried out as quickly as he could after that, making his way downtown.

Percival stood waiting for him, checking the time on his pocket watch. Credence hurried up to him. "I'm sorry I'm late" he began, but Percival began walking quickly towards an alleyway pulling Credence with him. He turned around to speak Credence.

"I need your help." Percival began before explaining about the wizarding world. He detailed that he needed Credence to help him find an obscurely and that, as Credence's family helped the children on and around Pike street, Credence would be the perfect candidate to help him find the child. In return, Percival would help Credence realise his dream.

"I know I can trust you, Credence," Percival said, "I can sense something special in you." He whispered as pulled Credence into a tight embrace. He promptly let go and walked down the alleyway before disappearing right before Credence's eyes.

Ever since then, they met periodically. And every time Credence would highly anticipate it. Though strange, Credence couldn't deny this strange attraction between himself and Percival. There was something about the man that intrigued him and kept him awake at night, dreaming about the day when all his problems would be over and he would be a powerful wizard with Percival. He even dreamed about having an owl, and riding a broom, all the things Mary Lou would have had kittens over…

Credence would stay out until it was dark and would hurry home only to receive chastisement and a beating from Mary Lou. But it was worth it because Percival Graves had made him a promise: help him find an obscurely and Percival would teach him to become a wizard. Credence always wanted to be a wizard, despite his mother's insistence they were evil. He had always been fascinated by this underground life the witches and wizards lead. In his dreams, he always imagined their lives as being carefree, a flick of a wand and all their troubles were gone, it was a carefree life filled with adventure. Credence felt if he could become magical, it would solve all his problems, he could get away from his mother's abuse and take Modesty back to her family, he could run away and have fantastic adventures and be accepted in the wizarding community, he would be called a freak or trash, he would be loved, and he would have friends.

Percival was his friend, he reminded himself, trying to pull himself out of his daydream, but his only friend and he didn't want to lose Percival, because if he did, that would be his only chance at freedom gone. Percival was also the only person who had ever been truly kind to him, apart from occasionally snapping at him,

"But that was my fault", he told himself, not Percival's.

Credence looked up, there was no one yet. He decided to wait five more minutes and then he would go back inside. He picked up one of the posters lying in the pail and half-heartedly tried to plaster it onto the brick wall.

Percival suddenly strode toward him, an urgent look on his face. Percival stopped in front of Credence, eyed him for a second before asking, "Have you found the child yet Credence?"

Credence shook his head, "I can't…I've tried but- "Percival held up his hand making Credence stop. He took Credence's hand in his, and turning it over saw the large, red welts. "Shhh. My boy, the sooner we find the child, the sooner you can put this pain in the past where it belongs." Percival moved his thumb across the cuts, causing them to heal instantly. Credence looked up at Percival incredulously.

Percival but a hand in his pocket and pulled out a strange looking pendant on a necklace and put it around Credence's neck. "I want you to have this, Credence," He explained, placing his hands on either side of Credence's neck. "I would trust very few with it-" pulling Credence close to him, "Very few…But you're different."

Credence felt unsure about this, his mind was racing. Being given a strange necklace would surely be a risk with Mary Lou? What if she knew what the symbol meant and had seen it elsewhere? What if she asked where he got it from? He also felt unsure about being so close to Percival, but let himself be brought into Percival's kiss.

Credence had never been kissed before, he had never really even been held, or hugged, or shown any physical affection as Mary Lou didn't believe in giving her children much physical affection, so he didn't know what to do. Should he keep his hands by his side? Should he keep his mouth closed? He could feel something stirring in himself, a surge of excitement rushed through him and then a sense of dread. What if someone found them? Homosexuality was a crime and a sin? Would they be thrown into prison? What would Mary Lou do to him? As all these thoughts run through his head, Percival deepened the kiss, his hand slipping down to Credence's chest and touching the pendant.

Percival broke the kiss, moving his head to whisper into Credence's ear "When you find the child, touch this symbol and I know, I will come to you. Do this and you will be honoured among wizards forever." He pulled Credence into one last hug, placing his hand onto Credence's neck. Credence closed his eyes and relaxed slightly into the hug.

Percival slowly pulled away, stroking Credence's neck before letting go and striding back down the alleyway, disapparating leaving Credence alone in the alleyway.


	2. Credence 2

Thank you everyone for reviewing/ reading! I can only apologise for the grammatical errors! I got really excited about publishing the story when the movie first came out and unfortunately I can't upload as much as I would like due to other commitments

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Much, much later, when the rest of the family were soundly asleep, Credence found himself wide awake, unable to sleep. The kiss Percival had given him had awoken something in him he couldn't shake off, every time he thought of Percival kissing him, he felt his face flush, and a hot sensation pooled in his stomach.

Credence stared at the ceiling, wondering what would happen. He was worried about anyone finding out about it, but excited by the memory and the prospect of more. No one had ever kissed him before and Percival's lips had felt soft and warm and if a kiss could feel as nice as that…

"Stop being ridiculous", he told himself, "it was just a kiss. Percival doesn't like you like that." He couldn't let himself fall into this, Percival was his friend, _just_ his friend and it would stay that way. But…no. Credence thought for a second. He would not do anything to jeopardise this friendship. The next time he saw Percival, he would not do anything rash, he would wait and see what Percival would do instead.

Yes, that was a good idea…

And yet, Credence did find himself wanting more. The simple touches Percival gave when he ushered Credence into an alleyway or placed a hand on his shoulder meant more to Credence than Percival could know. Credence placed his fingertips on his lips lightly, smiling slightly again at the afternoon's previous events.

He was always excited whenever he saw Percival, Credence recalled. He always felt a rush of excitement, his heart skipped a beat. Someone cared for him, showed him affection, listened to him when he spoke, which was more than most people ever did for him. Credence thought about the amulet Percival had given him, which he had stashed away for the night in an old pair of socks, fearing that his mother may find it in the morning as she came in to wake him up in the morning. Credence smiled slightly. His hero had given him a gift, but not just any gift. Credence didn't know exactly what the amulet meant, but it didn't matter anyway. It was something that Percival had given him and he was elated to find that Percival had told him that he would trust very few people with it. His hero.

Credence idolised Percival. It was amazing that Percival was a wizard and could perform magical feats that Credence could never, even in his wildest dreams imagined. To be part of that world, where a simple wave could make all your problems vanish, your greatest wish fulfilled, was Credence's greatest dream. Being part of that world, part of Percival's world, where he would be accepted, loved, not treated like a freak was something that he desperately wanted. To be interesting and confident like Percival. To be admired and praised, not constantly scolded and chastised!

Percival had taken an interest in Credence from the start and he was overjoyed to have finally met someone who understood him and did not think of him as a freak, like many people did. Even his own family often regarded him differently; Mary Lou would eye him warily, as though she was waiting for a cannon to go off, though he never knew why. Chastity would always follow in their mother's shadow, her head held high, often holding Credence in contempt. Chastity too would eye him suspiciously, often busying herself in whatever work she had, only speaking to him if necessary and nothing more.

Mary Lou liked Modesty and Chastity, but she always seemed to just about tolerate him. Anything Credence did that in any way displeased her, well… he still had the marks on his hands and back to prove it. He tried to protect Modesty as best as he could from Mary Lou, even if it meant that Chastity would make sure that he would always receive extra beatings. But Modesty always greeted him kindly, hugging him after beatings from Mary Lou and smiling brightly up at him every morning. Modesty also knew how to make sure Mary Lou would not punish her for her behaviour. Several times before Credence had seen Modesty throw the Second Salemers flyers into the air instead of handing them out like she was meant to. Credence would never have been able to get away with that.

Modesty was the only good thing in his life before Percival. When she had been adopted out of her family to lie with Mary Lou Modesty would often cry at night, missing her family and her old life. Modesty would often make her way into Credence's room and burrow her head into his chest to muffle her cries until she finally fell asleep. But Credence knew she was tougher than he would ever be. She had more resilience.

Mary Lou always said it was because she loved the children that she would beat them, starve them, and deny them anything, well, nice. Mary Lou also believed how they lived should be an example, that a sparse life was essential. As the leader of a philanthropic society, she could not be seen engaging in the behaviours and tastes of many other New Yorkers, especially some new actress, who had the audacity to put a play on Broadway called Sex. Mary Lou didn't believe in being wasteful or frivolous. Any money that was given to the Salemers was given back to the children in the neighbourhood and her own children were often refused treats. She didn't want the children to grow up spoilt in such as raucous age, where morals were loose, skirts were high, and alcohol was being smuggled into New York City where organised crime was rife and police men looked the other way.

Mary Lou had even, on one occasion denied Chastity a potential date with some nondescript priest's younger brother several years ago, as Mary Lou regarded any type of relationship, sexual or not, as being abhorrent. Credence often wondered if it was because someone had hurt her previously that had caused her to be like that. She often told the children that she didn't believe in coddling people, or shielding them from the horrors of the world. She told them it was because she loved them that she treated them harshly and never hugged them.

That's why Credence always enjoyed meeting Percival. Percival always gave him sweets, soda pop, all the things Mary Lou denied him. Percival treated him well, very well. And sometimes, when he thought about Percival, the way he strode towards him and the way he spoke with a husky tone made Credence excited.

Credence's hand dropped down to the waistband of his pyjamas, thinking about Percival made him feel something he hadn't before about a person, he was surprised to find himself harden at the thought of Percival. Of course, Credence had woken up with an erection before in the morning many a time after he had reached puberty, but apart from snippets he heard from the neighbourhood boys and people on the street, Credence had never experienced anything sexual before. He knew what to do as he had found himself several months ago, being told everything "about the birds and the bees and everything in between" from a very kind, buxom blonde woman who had dragged him into her dressing room when she had seen him posting flyers up near the backstage door. She had gone into more detail than he would have ever cared to know, but she had been so honest and open that Credence couldn't excuse himself until someone had come into the dressing room to tell the woman that it was nearly show time.

Credence had always been too embarrassed and too shy to ever even try and talk to a girl, and it wasn't as if any girl his age had ever shown the slightest interest in him. But thinking back on it again, Percival kissing him and holding him, Credence felt himself stiffen more. The urge to do something was too strong for him to ignore now.

He slipped his hand into his pyjama bottoms, and touched himself tentatively. Credence breathed in slightly at the sensation, his hand felt warm and the feeling was rather nice. It felt right that his hand should be there. Slightly embarrassed at what he was about to do, but deciding to go on with it anyway, he tightened his grip ever so slightly around his erection and moved his hand gently up and down slowly. Credence closed his eyes tightly, thinking hard about Percival.

In his mind, Percival strode towards him again through a busy street, his coat tails flapping behind him, a look of urgency on his face before grabbing Credence roughly, shoving him up against an alley wall and kissing him roughly on the lips. Percival would then grab Credence's hair and pull his head back to bite him hard on the neck, Credence gasping aloud and pressing himself closer to Percival. Percival would then reach down to Credence's belt and undo it before slipping his hand into Credence's trousers…

Credence quickened his movements, his breath becoming shallower and more ragged, screwing his eyes tighter.

This time he was sat on Percival's desk in the older man's office whilst Percival was sat in his desk chair, a coy smile on his face, his hands folded behind his head. Percival would beckon Credence towards him and Credence would smile knowingly back at him, dutifully sinking to his knees on the cold wooden floor and undoing Percival's trousers. Credence would take Percival in his mouth and make the man grown loudly whilst Percival would run his hands through Credence's hair, keeping a tight grip on the back of Credence's head, an occasional gasp and a "fuck" would escape Percival's lips. Percival's head would tip back in ecstasy… and…

And then it was over. Credence gasped louder than he intended to, his body bucking slightly against his will. Feeling rather embarrassed but better for doing it, Credence's head sank back down onto the pillow, his heart beating at a million miles an hour. It was all over.


End file.
